


Love Bug?

by Lightlions



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A little?, Angst, Canon Universe, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Love Confessions, M/M, Unrequited Love, klance, love bite, love bug, maybeish? If you squint, mostly just klance, shallura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-04 20:37:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15155150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightlions/pseuds/Lightlions
Summary: Keith gets bitten by a love bug on a strange alien planet, and it's all Lance's fault. Keith isn't reacting how he's "supposed" to, and Lance is desperate to fix it. Meanwhile, Pidge knows what's going on and loves not telling, Shiro is dying and Hunk is, as always, supportive and completely exasperated.





	1. When Something Should Hurt

**Author's Note:**

> NEW NOTE: So I do want to warn that there is a small bit of Shallura. This was written before season 7 and before Shiro was shown as canonically gay. I’m considering revising the story when I have a sec, but as of right now it’s still in there. I just wanted to let everyone know that while I don’t mind the ship at all, I also want to be respectful of Shiro’s character and sensitive to everyone who (like me) really identifies with him. So that’s just a heads up :)
> 
> Okay, so a while ago there was a whole bunch of Klance love bug fics, and I got SO into them. I wanted to write my own, but this one is a bit different. Keith's response isn't an infatuation with Lance, because I thought it would be more fun to make it something else? I don't know guys, tell me what you think? It's been a while since I've posted anything and I really miss it!! Thank you so much for reading :)  
> P.S. I'm planning on 3 chapters. The second one will be up by the end of the week!

Lance was pissed, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, the current situation was entirely his own fault. There wasn't really any other way to put it, which left him feeling even more sour than before.  
In retrospect, capturing a weird, rare, alien "love bug" for the purpose of getting Allura to fall for him was an awful idea. In all fairness, it had been a joke. Lance had never planned on the bug actually biting Allura, but it seemed funny to try. Hunk's constant hand wringing and Pidge's eye rolls had made it even more entertaining. Once the bug was actually in Lance's armor-covered hands, he wasn't exactly sure what to do with it.  
"Wow," Pidge said, sounding almost impressed, "I wasn't expecting that to work."  
"Hey!" Lance squealed, "I will have you know I am a master alien trapper!"  
"It's the size of a peanut, Lance," Pidge retorted, voice lacking any real bite as they curiously tried peeking through Lance's closed fingers.  
"A dangerous peanut!" Hunk interjected. "What now?"  
"Now we give it to the Princess!" Lance exclaimed, puffing his chest out. He was already completely aware that doing so would be impossible, as both Allura and Shiro were tied up in a lengthy meeting discussing alliances with the strange people who inhabited this strange planet. Hunk, however, was failing to catch Lance's bluff, and Lance was finding his friend's nervous state hilarious.  
"C'mon dude, we can't do that. That's wrong, you can't just force someone to love you!" Hunk attempted a grab at Lance's hands, which he easily dodged.  
"Why not? You heard that one alien dude. Wears off in a few days." Lance protested, scrambling out of Hunk's reach.  
"Hunk's right," Pidge said, though without any real conviction as they had already caught onto Lance's warped idea of a joke, "forcing someone who hates you to like you is pretty messed up."  
"Allura doesn't hate me!" Lance retorted, feigning insult, "besides, weren't you even listening? This bug won't work if the person hates you. If Allura hated me the bug wouldn't do anything. But since she clearly likes me, this will make her loooooove me."  
"You sure it's a Allura you want to give it to? Isn't there a certain other broody someone you would rather be head over heels for you?" Pidge snapped back, causing Lance's face to turn bright red.  
"Wh-what, no! Who, who are you even talking about. I don't...I don't even know what you are try to-that's it I'm finding Allura and giving this to her right now!" Lance stuttered.  
"Giving me what?" Allura asked, sauntering into view, Shiro close behind her. She stretched her hands behind her, stifling a yawn.  
"We finished early," Shiro said happily, clearly having handled the long meeting better. "We can leave if you guys want or I was thinking we could look around for a bit. This planet has some pretty cool stuff."  
"Pretty stupid stuff!" Hunk said, rushing towards Shiro. "I hope you know that none of this is my fault at all and I should not be held responsible!"  
Shiro's immediately squinted his eyes suspiciously, turning to Lance. "What isn't Hunk's fault?"  
"Hey!" Lance said, "I don't know why you automatically assume that I would have anything to do with what Hunk is talking about, which isn't even a real thing that I should ever be in trouble for because I WAS JUST JOKING!" He punctuated his last few words with a shout, waving his hands for emphasis. While doing this, a small, peanut sized bug flew from between his fingers and landed directly on Allura's cheek.  
Lance's mouth dropped open as he realized what he had done, both Pidge and Hunk freezing as they watched. Too tired to notice, Allura turned to Shiro.  
"As lovely as this place is, I am going back to the castle and will be sleeping for the next 18 Vargas so if anyone needs me-YEEOWCH!" She swatted the bug off of her face, where only a tiny, heart shaped bite remained.  
"Princess?" Shiro asked worriedly, still unsure of what had happened. "Are you okay?"  
"Oh," Allura responded, reaching forward to wrap both arms around Shiro's, "I am doing absolutely wonderful."

"It's not that bad," Lance tried to argue, as Shiro glared at him. The entire team was sitting in a highly decorated lounge, along with several of the local leaders and a medic who was hovering over Allura.  
"It's really not," the medic said, after placing a bit of cream and a small bandage on Allura's bite. "It's rare, but the effects are well know. She'll think she's in love for two or three days, then it will wear off."  
"Well," Shiro said, his voice losing all of its regular composure, "what am I supposed to do until then?"  
"Be nice to her," the medic responded, unsympathetically. "She'll remember all of this when she's back to normal and I assume she'll be embarrassed. Try not to be too upset."  
"Oh, I'm upset," Shiro replied, "but not at her." He turned to glare once again at Lance, opening his mouth for what Lance assumed was a lecture, until Keith beat him to it.  
"You should be upset!" Keith all but screamed, "trying to force someone to like you is gross, wrong, and you completely jeopardized the entire team! You are always doing things like this, someone is going to get seriously hurt because of how inconsiderate you are!"  
Lance immediately reeled back from Keith's stinging words, the hurt lasting only a few seconds before he got angry. "I was joking, Keith! I was never really going to give it to Allura, I thought she was in a stupid meeting like she had been all day, and I know you hate me but could you at least keep your temper in check for 10 minutes and stop yelling at me! I messed up and I get it but I don't need you and your stupid mullet rubbing it in!"  
Keith opened his mouth to retort, but Hunk quickly intervened. "Okaaaay, this is a, uh, tense situation, and I think its time we all go." He stuttered, moving to help Allura stand. Allura ignored him and held her hand out for Shiro, who went completely red as he began to help her up.  
"Not yet," the medic said, pushing Allura back down by her shoulders. "We should probably check her, these bugs are known for latching onto the person they bite, until they find another victim." They began tugging at Allura's dress, turning her around to get a better view.  
"Ugh," Lance moaned, fully aware he should be quiet at this point, "I just wanna GO."  
"This is your fault," Keith exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. "If it wasn't for you she would be-" he turned his head to look at Allura, but stopped suddenly.  
"What, Keith? If your gonna be a jerk at least finish your jerk-ish sentences. It's called consistency." Lance rambled half heartedly.  
Keith ignored him, staring intently at Allura. After a moment, he lunged forward, grabbing a fist full of her hair. She shrieked and tried to pull away, but Keith kept his grip.  
"Dude, what the actual HELL!" Lance jumped forward and yanked at Keith's shoulder, who kept his grip making Allura yell louder.  
"It's the bug, stupid!" Keith shouted over the noise, turning to shake Lance off of him. He loosed his grip and the bug slid through his fingers, landing directly on his neck.  
"Oh," said Lance softly, "it's the bug."  
"Duh!" Keith exclaimed, not as concerned with the bug on his throat as he was with proving Lance was wrong, "what did you think I was doing?"  
"Ha, okay, right, you got the bug, don't you think now maybe you should-"  
"Don't tell me what to do! All of this is your fault!" Keith exclaimed anger surging through him. If it wasn't for Lance's dumb crush on Allura, none of this would have happened. In fact, it was the same dumb crush that was driving Keith absolutely insane, only because it was a distraction to the team. Though in all fairness, he seemed to be the one most distracted.  
"Okay," Lance said slowly, you were right. I was wrong. Now just let me-" he reached out a hand and Keith instinctively pulled back, only to let out a soft squeak when the bug bit into his flesh.  
Lance heard it, and went completely still. Shiro leapt over a chair in time to grab the bug and hand it to the medic, but it was clearly too late as Keith now had a small red bite, too bright to ignore.  
His eyes grew large as he stared at Lance, while Lance felt his heart drop.  
Lance took a slow step back, wanting to put as much distance between Keith and himself as he could before the effects of the bug started. "How, um, how ya feelin' buddy?" He asked, after a moment of uncomfortable silence.  
"Fine."  
Keith hadn't even attempted to move closer, and was crossing his arms tightly over his chest.  
"Guess it doesn't always work," he continued, shrugging his shoulders. "Good thing too, Lance's mess is already big enough."  
Lance opened his mouth to protest, but Shiro stepped in.  
"Okeeeey," he drew out, attempting to gently shake Allura off his arm, "we should head back to the castle and we can continue this riveting conversation later." He turned to one of the leaders, who was standing nearby quietly observing the ruckus. "I know we planned on finishing the treaty tomorrow, but I would like to request an extension. This treaty is all the Princess's doing, I propose we wait a few days until she feels like herself in order to continue."  
The leader nodded slowly. "A wise decision. You are welcome to any accommodations you may need."  
"Thank you," Shiro responded, "we'll head back to the castle and stay there until this is over, but I will keep your offer in mind."

The trek the the castle seemed significantly long, probably due to the awkward tension that seemed to fill the entire forest.  
Shiro had forged ahead, walking as quickly as possible while Allura attempted to keep up. He had tried walking beside her and engaging in regular conversation but that had lasted all of 30 ticks before he bolted.  
Pidge followed close behind, hunched over their scanning device where they were reading through the love bug's scans. Keith walked next to them, mostly ignoring their curious ramblings, instead turning to glare angrily at Lance every few minutes.  
"What is his deal?!" Lance huffed out, from where they lagged behind from the rest of the group.  
"Probably that you made a strange alien bug attack him and caused Shiro what appears to be endless suffering." Hunk's eyes widened as he realized what he said, so he quickly finished it up with an unconvincing, "but, uh, it's probably not even about that. He probably already forgot that whole thing."  
"Keith's always ticked about something," Lance said, waving his hand, "that's not what I mean. I mean why isn't that stupid, dumb mullet in love with me? He should be completely entranced by my good looks and charms!"  
Hunk rolled his eyes. "Well...you know what the villagers told us about how it works-"  
"I know!" Lance interrupted. "I know." He sighed, "I just didn't think Keith REALLY hated me. I thought maybe I had like, a smidgen of a chance, you know? In like, my fantasy dream world." Lance slowed down, dragging his feet across the dirt. "Turns out I don't have a chance with him in any reality because he hates me. HATES me, Hunk. I'm not even being dramatic, we have actual proof."  
Hunk briefly considered making some sort of joke to distract Lance, but was caught off guard at the tears welling in the Blue Paladin's eyes.  
"Whoa, buddy! It's okay!" Still walking forward, he scooped Lance into hug and dragged him along. "I'm sure you still have a chance, ya know, things change. Also, I could have sworn Keith didn't hate you. I mean, I was all rooting for you because Pidge said Keith..." He stopped his train of though, releasing Lance from his hold.  
"Pidge said what?" Lance asked, too depressed to act like he was really interested.  
"Never mind, I guess they were wrong. Which is crazy because I didn't know that was possible."  
"Well I didn't know it was possible for my life to be even more of an absolute tragedy but here we are!" Lance sighed dramatically, flopping forward onto Hunk who was straining to keep sight of the rest of the group.  
Hunk chuckled like he knew Lance wanted him to, purposefully pretending not to see the tears his friend quickly wiped away. He figured now was a bad time-they could talk about it over space cookies and weird Altean movies once they got back to the castle.  
"It's not a big deal," Lance said quickly. "I mean, I'm basically the absolute best, so it's not like I can't find literally anyone else. Somebody waaaaay better."  
"Exactly!" Hunk exclaimed, "no one can resist your charms!"  
"NO ONE!" Lance emphasized, before stopping in his tracks. "Hunk that's it!"  
"Uh, what is?" Hunk asked, tugging Lance to get him to start moving again. They really were falling way, way behind.  
"I haven't actually tried woo-ing Keith! I never used any of my charms on him, none at all! It took me too long to actually realized I liked him, and by then it was too late! He already hated me!"  
"O-okay?"  
"So all I have to do is charm him like I do everyone else and he'll stop hating me! And I'll even know if its working because the bug thing will make him all lovey-dovey and then BOOM! He'll realize we are meant to be together and WAZAM! Then we will be! It's foolproof!"  
"Okay, okay," Hunk interjected quickly, "but I thought we just decided you were going to find someone else to do that too. Someone 'waaaaay better'?"  
Lance instantly deflated and looked down at his boots. "That's the problem," he said softly, "There isn't anyone better than Keith, not in this entire universe."  
"That's..." Hunk replied, "pretty sappy. Even for you."  
Lance ignored him, and trudged ahead, seemingly lost in thought. "This will work!" He exclaimed after a few minutes, "you just have to help me."  
"Whatever you need, buddy," Hunk replied. Half of him was filled with excitement (romance being his favorite thing, right after burritos) but the rest of him felt queasy. Lance tended to play things off to most people, but Hunk knew what a big deal this was to him. If things didn't work out, it wasn't going to be pretty.


	2. Pocky: the fastest way to a man's heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up splitting this chapter into 2, just to make reading easier. But I am posting it right away as promised so no worries :) Also, I fixed the chapter number issue!

After the seemingly endless hike was over, the paladins collectively collapsed on the couches in the lounge. Shiro finally looked somewhat relaxed, until Allura flung herself next to him, squishing him into the cushions.   
"I've done so much good in my life," Shiro huffed out, barely audible, "why do these things happen to me?"  
"Remember that one time I was winning at Mario Kart so you licked my ear and I lost? That's why." Keith said, not even bothering to look in Shiro's direction.  
"That was..." Shiro mumbled, "a strategic tactic. And...it was fair. You're just bad at video games."   
If Lance wasn't sick to his stomach about the current predicament that was 100% his fault, he probably would have been laughing. Seeing Shiro looking completely flustered while Keith seemed apathetic was entertaining, to say the least.  
Finally, Shiro stood, gently shoving Allura to allow himself up. "Well, this is great and all. But I believe a certain princess mentioned an 18 vagra map, which sounds great right about now."  
"Yes! That sounds lovely-" Allura began, reaching towards Shiro.  
"By myself. An alone nap. It's a thing we humans do. We take lots of naps, but never with each other. Uh, cultural thing."  
Allura pouted at Shiro's rather flimsy excuse, but didn't protest as he began to walk away, instead crossing her arms and letting out an indigent huff. Lance shot off the couch and raced after Shiro, ignoring his teammates' curious glances.  
"Hey! Wait!" Lance knew now wasn't the best time to be asking Shiro for help, but Lance had a plan and Shiro had answers he desperately needed, immediately.  
"What, Lance?" Shiro sighed, not even bothering to look in his direction.  
That stung. Even after living with the guy for what Lance assumed was years, he still looked up to him. Probably even more so than he had on earth. As much as he hated to admit it, part of Lance practically survived off approval, and not getting Shiro's was a pretty hard blow.  
"Oh, uh..."Lance stumbled, finally caught up with Shiro but not failing to notice his exasperated attitude. "Actually, never mind!" He exclaimed forcing his tone back to his normal, cheery self. "You seem tired. We can talk later."  
He swung back around and started in the opposite direction, only letting his face fall when he was several steps away from Shiro.  
"Lance, wait." Shiro called after him, in a fairly defeated voice. Lance looked back, surprised to see Shiro sitting down against the wall, patting the spot next to him in a clear invitation.   
Lance slunk down next to him, not sure exactly what was going on, but mentally preparing himself for the oncoming lecture.  
"I'm really sorry," he started, "I know I messed up."  
"I'm sorry," Shiro said forcefully. Lance froze, looking at Shiro and seeing nothing but sincerity.   
"I am," Shiro continued, "I didn't mean to be so...harsh. About the whole thing. You didn't do anything wrong."   
"I caught a bug I knew could hurt someone and got the Princess infected."  
Shiro smiled. "You keep everyone entertained. I never worry about you guys during these long meetings, because I know you'll take care of everyone."  
Lance swallowed. "I...guess..." he trailed off, not sure what to say.  
"Though I guess now that I think about it, this whole thing really is your fault."  
Ah, there it was. The blame Lance knew he deserved but really, really wasn't prepared to deal with right now.  
He opened his mouth to start another apology, but Shiro cut him off. "So I figure you owe me something. To make up for all this."  
"Of course! Whatever you want!" Lance said, a little too enthusiastically. If Shiro was giving him a chance to fix things, he was going to take it, without question.  
"I need advice." The request came out slightly sheepishly, as Shiro's composure fell.   
"From...me?" Lance squeaked out.   
Shiro nodded. "I don't know how to handle this," he admitted. "I don't like that Allura isn't in control, she would never act like this on her own. How am I supposed to respond?"  
That was a tough question. "Maybe," Lance said slowly, "play along?" That earned him an unimpressed look, and he quickly attempted to remedy his answer. "Not like lie! I just mean, maybe be like, gentle with her? Like give her hugs if she wants and spend time with her and tell her you care about her. Just normal, friend stuff like that. So her feelings don't get hurt and nothings weird when she's back to normal."  
"Yeah," Shiro said with a nod, "that would probably be best. I just..." Shiro looked down again, avoiding Lance's eyes but now in an entirely different way, "I like it. And I feel bad. She wouldn't want this."  
"Well that-wait, WHAT?" Lance screeched, jerking his head up to look at Shiro. "You mean you...like, like, like, you know, like-"  
"Yes, Lance. That's what I just said."  
"Oh."  
"Yeah. Oh."  
Lance paused. "Well. Your doing a good job. Being nice to her and not...taking advantage, I guess."  
Shiro nodded again, looking slightly more relieved.  
"BUT, that does mean that now we are at war!" Lance exclaimed, dropping his serious tone. "You and me, battling for the princess's affection!"  
That earned him a scoff, but Shiro smiled. "You sure?" Shiro asked carefully. "That you really like the princess? There isn't, anyone else?"  
"What exactly are you implying? Is this a war strategy, to throw me off your trail?!?"  
"I'm not implying anything!" Shiro exclaimed, "I was just thinking that maybe-I mean, no, never mind. Not my place." Shiro shook his head, but sent another smile in Lance's direction. "Thank you."  
"Thanks for messing everything up and then offering a few useless words of wisdom?" Lance asked, "for you Shiro, anytime."  
Shiro laughed again, and pulled himself up, leaning down to help Lance stand. "I mean it," he stated. "Now, I'm off to take a very real, very long nap."  
"Sounds good." Lance started, almost forgetting what he had chased Shiro down for in the first place. "Wait!"  
Shiro turned around, eyebrow arched.  
"I uh," Lance stuttered, "I was just wondering, uh," he paused, before blurting out, "what's Keith's favorite food?"   
Shiro shot him a suspicious look, but only responded with, "promise not to tell him I told you?"  
"Um, I guess?"   
"You know those pocky sticks?"  
"Yeah?"  
"He's obsessed with them. Like, OBSESSED."  
"Oh," Lance thought about it for a second, then smiled triumphantly, "Thanks!" He called out, already rushing towards Hunk's room.

 

"This isn't working, Lance." Hunk sighed, staring down at the mess of white and black sludge Lance was attempting to pour over small cookie-like sticks.   
"It's working great Hunk!" Lance exclaimed, not breaking his concentration.  
"We HAD to do cookies and cream?" Hunk asked.  
"Obviously! That's everyone's favorite flavor!"  
"Mine's green tea."  
"You don't count. Your palette is too refined."  
"I like the ones with almonds." Pidge piped in, sauntering into the kitchen. Their arrival startled Lance, who jerked his hand back, spilling goop over Hunk's shoe.  
"What's the occasion?" They asked, as Hunk grumbled and bent to clean the mess.  
"Nothing! I just wanted to make...these things." Lance gestured vaguely in the direction of his creation, and Pidge wrinkled their nose.   
"You want to know something interesting?" Pidge asked, hopping up onto the counter.  
"Not really." Lance replied.  
"Too bad. I was just going to tell you that Pocky happens to be Keith's favorite food." Pidge smiled sweetly at Lance, who was pretending to focus very, very hard on his work, "but I bet you already knew that," they finished with a smirk.  
"I, uh, I am, I mean, I am aware. Of that. That unrelated fact." Lance said, pretending not to notice the way Pidge was staring at him. It was honestly a little freaky.   
"Completely unrelated," Hunk scoffed, rolling his eyes in Lance's direction.  
Lance ignored them both. "Just a liiiiiittle more..." He said, dumping more and more mushed goo onto the pan."  
"Nope!" Hunk exclaimed, grabbing it away from him, "that is more than plenty."  
"It has to be perfect!" Lance yelped, reaching to try and swipe it back from Hunk, who was steadfastly holding his ground.  
"For random, non-Keith related reasons, right?" Pidge asked, snickering.  
"Yes!" Lance cried, finally backing away from Hunk.   
Hunk set the tray out of Lance's reach, and smiled at his friend. "They look great."  
"Yeah they do! I made them!" Lance said, happy at the compliment. This was going to work, and it was going to be awesome.

By the time dinner rolled around, Shiro was still asleep, and no one wanted to wake him. Allura ate quickly and left in a huff, clearly upset at the lack of Shiro present.   
Keith didn't say anything, shoving goo in his mouth as quickly as possible and ignoring whatever idle chit-chat was circulating the table.   
"You alright, my boy?" Coran asked, leaning over to clasp a hand on Keith's shoulder.  
"I'm fine." Keith said shortly, sending a glare in Lance's direction. He stood to leave, but not before Lance bolted upright.  
"Dessert!" He declared happily. "No one can leave until we've eaten dessert!"  
Keith peered at him curiously for a moment, before shaking his head and pushing his chair back. "I'm full."  
"I made it!" Lance pushed, "You can stay for 18 ticks and try it!" He tried to not look too desperate, but couldn't help his voice from wavering.  
"Yeah," Pidge said, "Lance worked sooooo hard and it would a tragedy if you didn't try it." Their voice was layered in sarcasm, but Lance ignored it.  
"Fine." Keith sat back down, folding his arms over his chest.  
Hunk brought the tray out, setting it directly in front of Keith.  
Keith stared unimpressed as he picked up a stick, looking back at Lance with a scowl. "What even is this supposed to be?"  
"Just try it!" Lance was beginning to regret his entire plan, his heart pounding. It shouldn't matter what Keith thought, but for some reason it did. A lot.  
Keith took the smallest bite his possibly could. "Oh," he said while chewing, "it's actually not terrib-" he stopped mid-sentence. Without another word he shoved the rest of the stick in his mouth, and reach forward to grab another handful, shoving as many in his mouth as possible.  
"God, Keith," Pidge said, "leave some for the rest of us."   
Keith shoved their hand away when they reached forward, and grabbed even more despite not being finished chewing his last handful.   
"Is it...good?" Lance had been watching carefully, not knowing how to respond to Keith's...well to Keith in general. He had been hoping Keith would like them, but this was boarding on excessive.  
"Yeah," Keith said, the word coming out muffled. Hunk opened his mouth to mention how gross that was, but stopped when the boy grabbed even more.  
"Nope, nope, nope," Hunk said, reaching over the table to stop Keith's hand before it got to his mouth. Keith looked up at him with sad, heartbroken eyes.  
"That's plenty!" Hunk said. "You are going to be so sick in the morning."  
"Good." Keith responded, using his free hand to scoop up more.  
Lance stood watching, unable to stop himself from beaming.   
Hunk was able to grab a few to share with Lance, and Pidge managed a handful, but Keith inhaled the rest. When the pan was cleared, he stood with a triumphant smile. He started to walk away, but not before glancing over his shoulder.  
"Thanks, Lance," he said softly, crumbs covering his mouth.  
"Uh, sure thing, buddy," Lance managed, before Keith left.  
"That actually worked!" Hunk exclaimed, once Keith was out of earshot.  
"You are both idiots." Pidge rolled their eyes, "but I guess they were pretty good."

 

Pidge went to visit Keith after dinner, just because things were starting to get interesting. They found him in an unusual position, laying face down on his bed.  
"Huh. So everything's normal here," Pidge remarked, after sauntering in Keith's open room.   
Keith glanced up and rolled his eyes, "I don't know what that's supposed to mean."  
Pidge ignored him, instead changing the topic. "Liked dessert, huh?"  
"Yeah," Keith said into his pillow, "I kinda like Pocky. A little."  
"Mmmhmmm," Pidge hummed. "Nice of Lance to make them."  
"Yeah," Keith agreed, before noticing Pidge's knowing look. "It's not like that!" He said quickly, "how would he even know I like them? He probably just wanted to make something, and since they are God's greatest creation, he happened to make Pocky. Which I like. Or whatever."  
Pidge sighed. They were literally getting nowhere, with either of the two idiots. "Nice that you guys are getting along a little better. You seemed pretty mad at him earlier."  
"I am mad!" Keith shot up staring angrily at Pidge. "This doesn't change that he-he jeopardized the team!"  
"The team, right. You're very mad because he was messing around, not because he was trying to get Allura to fall in love with him."  
"It's not about that!" Keith leaned back on the wall supporting his bed, and pulled his knees to his chest. "I should have never told you about that."  
"About what, Keith?" Pidge prompted.  
"About nothing!" Keith retorted. "I'm never talking about my feelings to anyone, ever again."  
"Shocker."


	3. Never Board With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done AAAAAAAH!  
> Also, side note: I feel like in every fic I write my most used phrase is "Lance screeched" and I'm not sure why

Lance spent the next day waiting for Keith to finish training so he could implement the rest of his plan. The problem was, Keith wasn't stopping. Lance was pretending not to be obvious as he peered into the training room every few hours, but each time Keith was just as wrapped up in his training. It was annoying, even if Lance was really enjoying the way Keith's brow furrowed and his tongue stuck out slightly before he lunged for his next hit.  
He decide to change his tactic.

"Game night?" Shiro looked at Lance unconvinced. "You sure that's a good idea?" He was trying to appear calm, but Allura was standing behind him, arms wrapped around his waist. He could feel the heat in his cheeks, and was thankful no one else had mentioned it.  
"Sure! Team bonding. Aren't you all into that?" Lance glanced at Shiro, and knew instantly he had won.  
"Okay, okay." Shiro gently pulled Allura's arms away from him, and lead her onto one of the couches.  
"Do we have to?" Pidge asked from across the room, only glancing away from their computer screen for a second at a time.  
"Aw, this sounds fun!" Hunk said happily, pulling Pidge up. "We haven't played games in forever."  
"Yup, yup, fun stuff," Lance said quickly, "now someone go find Keith so he doesn't feel left out."  
"Why are you looking for me?" Keith stood in the doorway, towel around his neck, completely out of breath."  
"Mandatory team bonding!" Lance said.  
"Well," Shiro interrupted, "it's not really mandatory,"  
"Mandatory!" Lance repeated. "Okay time to split into teams. We need three teams, so two people on each."  
"I'm with Shiro!" Allura declared, and Shiro went completely red.  
"Cool," Lance said, turning around, "Pidge and Hunk are sitting next to each other so I guess that means they are on a team. And oh, I need a team, so hmm, I guess that means I'm with Keith."  
"I don't know," Keith said, "I still have to shower."  
"And leave me without a team?!?" Lance cried, not even attempting to hide his hurt.  
"Fine," Keith relented, "but I'm going to hate it and I get to complain as much as I want."  
"Great!" Lance declared, emptying the board game he had found in the back of a closet onto the floor, "let's get started!"  
  
"That move was completely uncalled for," Pidge said, "it didn't even make sense. You just wanted to be a dick."  
Lance smiled happily back at them. "That's the whole point of the game!"  
"It's not." Shiro replied. "At all."  
"You're so smart!" Allura piped in, having not taken her eyes off Shiro since the game started.  
"Apparently not," Shiro responded, "since I actually agreed to this."  
They had been playing for over an hour, and despite several snide remarks and a few heated arguments, everyone seemed to be having fun. Even Keith, who was taking the game more serious than necessary.  
Lance and Keith had scored quite a few points on everyone else, mostly from stupid moves, and Lance was completely convinced Keith was warming up to him. He had even accepted a high five when they pulled ahead.  
Out of nowhere, Keith turned to Lance and frowned.  
"I'm bored!" He moaned.  
"But we're doing so good!" Lance retorted, trying to hide his disappointment. He had really thought things were going well.  
"No, Lance," Keith shot back, "I'm like, super bored."  
"C'mon, Keith!" Lance practically begged, "Just play a little longer!"  
"No, Lance," Keith continued, "you don't get it. I'm very bored. Like super bored. Board. Get it? I'm board. Of this board game."  
Lance stared at him in silence, while Hunk's eyes practically bulged out of his head. Finally, Lance spoke. "OH MY GOD, WAS THAT A PUN?"  
To Lance's endless surprise, Keith erupted into giggles. This was going much, much, better than planned.  
  
Hunk and Pidge ended up winning by a long shot, with Keith and Lance falling behind faster and faster with every turn. Shiro managed to score a few points, no thanks to Allura, as she had fallen asleep in Shiro's laps, and took second place. It wasn't Lance's preferred outcome, but overall he considered the night a success. Keith seemed strangely happy, and Lance even caught him staring at him out of the corner of his eye a few times. He tried not to read into it too much, but the more Keith smiled at him the harder it became.  
Eventually, Shiro picked Allura up and went to carry her to bed. "Thanks, Lance," he said before leaving, "that was fun."  
"Obviously," Lance replied, "I'm the master of fun."  
"Nah," Keith said, "just the master of losing at games."  
"YOU LOST WITH ME MULLET HEAD!" Lance replied forcefully.  
"Oh, yeah. Huh." Keith said.  
Keith stood up and started to pick up pillows left on the floor and game pieces that had been flung across the room. Lance tried not to let his eyes follow him as he moved to do the same, but it was impossible.  
Things were going well. If that had been any other week, Lance would be elated. He might even be convinced he could actually get Keith to like him. But this wasn't any other week. As happy and open as Keith had gotten, he still wasn't acting how Allura was towards Shiro. Which meant that in reality, Keith still hated Lance just as much. Apparently, he was just much better at hiding it than Lance would have expected.  
The worry in the pit of his stomach was growing heavier and heavier, until Lance had to say something.  
"Keith?" He asked tentatively.  
"Hm?" Keith hummed, still shoving pillows back into their places.  
"I'm...sorry. Like, for real." Lance wasn't sure if talking about it was even a good idea. He was just brining up his past mistakes for Keith to remember, over and over.  
"For what?" Keith asked, finally turning to face Lance. His head was crooked to the side and he was staring at Lance like he honestly didn't know. Like there wasn't a huge cloud of Lance's mistake hovering over them constantly.  
"For what?" Lance asked, sounding almost exasperated, "well lets start with getting you bitten by a creepy alien bug, for starters."  
Keith looked confused for a second longer, before his face grew soft. "Really, Lance?" He asked, "You're still on that?"  
Now it was Lance's turn to be confused. It had only been a little over a day and half. Why wouldn't Keith still be mad? In Lance's perspective, it would make sense if Keith was mad at him forever.  
"I just...I feel bad..." Lance started, but Keith raised his hand to cut him off.  
"Dude, its fine. Allura will be back to normal, probably by the morning, and it didn't even work on me. Probably a defective bite, or whatever."  
"Oh." Lance didn't know how to respond to that. He felt guilty, so he assumed everyone else would be mad. He figured he deserved it.  
"It's fine Lance," Keith finished up, "stop being so mean to my friend. It's pissing me off."  
"I haven't been mean to anyone!" Lance screeched, before pausing. "Wait, did you mean-"  
"Yeah," Keith finished. "Stop being mean to yourself. I don't like it." Suddenly his confidence seemed to deflate as he muttered out a weak, "I mean, we are friends, right?"  
"Of course!" Lance leaped forward to pull Keith into a hug. After a tense moment Keith relaxed, patting Lance's back with a chuckle.  
"I alway knew you had a soft spot for me!" Lance exclaimed.  
"Whatever." Keith retorted, pushing him away. "Just put the rest of the pillows away. I'm going to bed." With that Keith turned away and sauntered out the door, hoping to casually hide the growing blush on his face.  
Lance was elated. He moved about putting furniture back in its place, humming happily tacky earth songs.  
"Well my boy! Look like my works been done for me!" Coran announced, stepping through the double sliding doors with a whoosh.  
"Yeah!" Lance said happily, having just finished.  
"You seem rather chipper, I must say! You seemed a bit down earlier."  
Lance shrugged, unable to keep the smile off his face. "I was just worried about the whole, you know, love bug thing. But Shiro told me it was okay and Allura should be okay in just a little, and it didn't even hurt Keith because it was a defective bite, or whatever."  
At that, Coran paused and stroked his mustache. "Defective? Now that doesn't sound right..."  
"Wh-what do you mean?" Lance asked, the worry in his stomach returning at an alarming rate.  
"I went through some of the bugs scans with Pidge. It seems that the more often they bite, the more potent the bites get. Pidge was able to calculate the amount of venom released into the past few victims, and I must say, Keith really got the worst of it. Like, that bug really got him! Crazy!"  
Lance felt sick.  
"Oh."  
"No need to worry young paladin! The bite wears off quickly! We should consider this a wonderful learning opportunity, as now Pidge has a whole host of data on this bugger!"  
"Uh...yeah." Lance said. _Finish the conversation_ , he thought, _get out quickly so he doesn't see you start to cry._  
"Sadly," Coran continued, unaware of Lance's inner turmoil, "Pidge wouldn't let me see all of it! Very unfair! They said they had found something 'quite interesting' and then they shoved me out! Of the lab on my own castle!"  
"Oh, um, sorry," Lance said, attempting to keep his voice even, "Pidge is like that sometimes but they always come around."  
He quickly maneuvered his way past a sulking Coran, and fled into the hallway without another word.  
So Keith was bitten. And he was just lying. Probably because he cared about the team. He was pretending to like Lance for Voltron's sake.  
_He should have gone into theater_ , Lance thought bitterly, pushing away the tears running down his face. 


	4. Extremely, Grossly Into You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :). All of your kind comments and kudos really mean so, so much to me! I have a couple more fics I want to start and will fairly soon. Also, any ideas for things you want to read are always welcome!!

"Shiro, I'm so, so, so, so, so-"  
"Let me guess," Shiro interrupted, holding his hand up with a soft smirk on his face, "are you about to say sorry? It's a crazy guess, I know, because it's not like you've said it a hundred billion times."  
"I'm serious!" Allura insisted, moving to hit Shiro with one of her longs sleeves. The alien dignitaries watching closely hid their chuckles behind short, triangle shaped hands.  
Though they were now gathered in the lounge they had brought Allura to after she was first bitten, it had all really happened at breakfast.  
Allura had her arm wrapped around Shiro, making it all but impossible for him to eat. Instead, he was staring gloomily ahead trying to ignore the way she had wrapped her legs around his.  
"Shiro, I loooove the way you-" Allura started, and then stopped abruptly.  
"Way I?" Shiro asked, curiously wondering what random action she was now finding absolutely endearing.  
"The way you..."  
"The way I...?"  
"Holy Quiznack!" She sprung up from her chair, pushing so hard Shiro's bowl of goo fell directly onto his lap.  
He ignored it, and stood quickly next to her. He had caught on quickly, and was ready to do as much damage control as needed. "Princess," He started but Allura cut him off.  
"No! Shiro! I, I am, I am so sorry! I'm so...I have to go!" She raced out of the room, and Shiro turned calmly back to the team as if nothing had happened.  
"Looks like peace negotiations are back on. I will send word, I want everyone in their lions is half a vargra, alright?"  
Everyone nodded awkwardly, as Shiro turned to catch up with Allura, his boots squishing as he trailed his breakfast along.

The entire ride in the lions had been Allura apologizing non-stop, until Lance had to mute his earpiece.

The same medic from before carefully examined Allura, chuckling every so often. "Seem like the effects have completely worn off. Looks like you have nothing to worry about."  
Allura couldn't help herself from giving them a slightly unimpressed look, before turning to Shiro.  
"I am SO-" she started again, before Shiro gently grabbed her shoulders.  
"None of this is your fault. It was actually, kind of funny."  
"Funny?! How, on any of Aleta's 56 moons, is this situation anything close to funny?!"  
"Well," Shiro said sheepishly, "maybe funny is the wrong word. I just mean, we got a break. We got to spend time together. It was nice."  
"Oh." Allura said, completely taken off guard. "I suppose it was." She paused, looking at Shiro hesitantly. "I guess I should finish our breakfast conversation."  
Shiro raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.  
"I love...how patient you are. How you never want anyone to feel bad, even if the situation is taxing on you." Allura said quickly, and with each word Shiro grew redder and redder, until Lance swore some of his white hair was turning pink.  
"ECK!" Pidge exclaimed, "it was so gross watching you two for the last two days, can you knock it off, at least until we finish OUR MAKING-PEACE-TREATIES-TO-SAVE-TO-UNIVERSE-JOBS?"  
Keith snickered under his breath, and Lance's heart felt like it had snagged. If Allura's bite had worn off, Keith's should have by now too. Except everything was the same as always. Nothing had changed, only now Lance knew the truth. That Keith really was the best team player. He hated Lance, and was still willing to put up with him. He even tried to make Lance feel like he didn't hate him. He was a sickeningly good person, who Lance had positively, absolutely no chance with.  
"And you?" The medic had turned to Keith.  
"Me what?" Keith had his arms crossed and had his shoulders hiked much higher up than necessary.  
"You feel normal?"  
"I have this whole time. I told you, the bite didn't work." Keith huffed, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Lance.  
"Nonsense," one of the nearby dignitaries stated, "there has never been a case where the bite 'didn't' work. It always causes some sort of effect, unless there are remarkably strong feelings from the victim."  
Suddenly the silent room was filled with low mumbling, as leaders turned to each other and whispered.  
Keith was growing very, very red.  
"I don't think an alliance is a good idea." The alien who had spoken before declared.  
Shiro's eyebrows shot up. "After everything we have been through," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "why would you just now make this decision?"  
"It is simply too risky. Voltron cannot succeed if there is this strong of hatred between the famed paladins. I am afraid they do not live up to their name."  
"I don-" Keith started, but the medic cut him off.  
"That's true, but they have been able to work together so far. Perhaps the feelings flow in the other direction?" They glanced curiously between Lance and Keith, who were both attempting to shrink from view.  
The dignitaries eyes grew wide, until he nodded. "Ah yes. I can see it clearly now. I apologize, it was well hidden but it all makes sense. I am very sorry, I think in this case an alliance is a wise choice."  
Lance was completely lost. In any other situation he would have spoken up and demanded answers, but at this point he was completely humiliated. A large group of strangers, as well as his entire team-which he considered his family, now knew how much Keith hated him. Keith, who he was desperately, utterly in love with. If he thought his life couldn't be any more of a tragedy, he was wrong.  
"I'm so lost," Shiro confessed, voicing Lance's thoughts. He slumped down onto one of the couches and set his head in his hands. "Please, someone explain, and use very small words, visual aids if possible."  
Allura chuckled behind him, and he visibly relaxed.  
"Ooh ooh! I will!" Pidge hopped up from where they had been sulking in a corner, having been clearly bored.  
"You know what's going on?" Shiro asked, lifting his head.  
"Or you could not!" Keith exclaimed, jumping forward a little to quickly. Everyone's eyes turned to him, and he attempted to backtrack. "I just mean...uh...Pidge already explained things to me. Everyone doesn't need to know. All that matters is the alliance, and since everyone seems to be on board with it, I don't see why we are wasting time."  
"Heh," Lance muttered from the side, unable to stop himself, "on board. Board. That one's still funny."  
"You're using it completely out of context," Keith argued, but he suddenly seemed less panicked. Lance figured his pretending was getting impressive.  
"Nah," Pidge argued, "Shiro looks like he has a headache so we're probably gonna be here a bit anyways."  
They whipped out a small device from their back pocket, eagerly clicking until they found the scans they had taken days ago.  
"There is a lot of fascinating chemical reactions happening that cause the effects we've already seen. In fact, the biological makeup of this creature is astounding, starting with the unique makeup of it's DNA-"  
Shiro cleared his throat loudly.  
"But," Pidge continued, "for Shiro's sake I'll just put this clearly. If the love bug's bite doesn't work, it means the hatred the victim has for the person they looked at is incredibly strong, as in they would have to be the one person they hated more than anyone-"  
"I get it!" Lance shouted, suddenly finding everyone's eyes on him. "I get it! Keith hates me, life is hard, I'll never get anything I want. We're all gonna die at some point."  
Keith's eyes grew wide, his mouth gaping open. That was certainly not the reaction he had been expecting. Pidge, on the other hand, rolled their eyes at the sudden outburst.  
"AS I WAS SAYING," they continued, not having enjoyed the interruption, "it's such a strong feeling that even the strength of the bug's venom won't work. The only other situation where it won't work is if that person bitten is ridiculously in love with the other person. Like, stupidly in love. Super dumbly in love. Like they are so in love with the other person it's extremely gross."  
"I get it!" This time it was Keith who shouted, drawing all the attention to him. That made everything worse. He couldn't handle this. He had spent the past two days in a constant state of worry, sure that Lance would find out. Pidge had confronted him moments after they got back to the castle, a conversation that had ended in an exasperated confession followed by what Pidge found to be a sickening account of every good thing Lance had ever done in his life, narrated by Keith. It had been an awful five hours.  
Now the worry had grown into dizzying anxiety and panic, and Keith felt like he was going to throw up. Without a word he ran out of the stuffed room, not stopping to think about where he was going. His only thought was to run.  
"Thanks, Pidge," Shiro said, placing his head back in his hands, "everything makes a lot of sense now."  
"Yeah." Lance squeaked out helpfully, before racing out the door.  
"So!" Allura declared happily, "How about that peace treaty?"

Lance had been running in circles for probably hours. Maybe days. At this point, he was sure weeks could have passed. In reality it had been less than a half vargra, but damn, Keith knew how to hide.  
Everything about the building was confusing, it was all large columns and sloping floors, only one giant staircase running through the center connecting the many floors.  
Keith was sitting halfway up, tucked into the side, gazing from between the poles. I've had a good life, Keith figured. Wait no, not really. It's been awful. Everything is awful. I should just face my death and get it over with.  
Lance shouted again, and Keith rolled his eyes. The blue paladin's voice was so obnoxiously loud it echoed through the entire palace. He loved that voice.  
He also wasn't answering it. Ever.  
"Keith!" Lance really wasn't stopping, and by the sounds of it, he was getting closer.  
Keith shoved himself further, poking his legs through the holes in the side and letting his feet dangle. He would face his death soon enough. It was just dumb that he had to do it on an ugly staircase.  
"I see your feet, Keith! Would you come down?" Lance's yelling was getting louder, and Keith was still ignoring it. On second thought, maybe the staircase wasn't so bad looking. The carvings that ran up the sides were exquisite. Keith took his time studying them intensely.  
"Keith!" Lance huffed, having run up the stairs quicker than seemed humanly possible.  
Keith didn't answer. The staircase was actually very, very interesting.  
Lance didn't say anything. He sat down and let his feet dangle down trying not think about how close he was. So close to Keith, so close to everything he wanted.  
Keith had seen enough of the staircase. He stood up, briefly thinking about which direction would be easiest to run in, until Lance grabbed his hand and pulled himself up.  
"Hey, buddy," Lance said softly. He had imagined this moment a million times-where he confessed his undying love for Keith in the most beautifully romantic way possible and Keith returned the sentiment. Now, however, he was suddenly at a loss for words.  
"Buddy." Keith said back, looking directly over Lance's shoulder. _If I wanted to, I bet I could sprint down the stairs_ , Keith thought, maybe duck and roll. _He'd never catch me then._  
"So um, about that whole thing," Lance said, finding the words tumble out of his mouth, "I think we should clear the air. Like you either like-like me, or you hate me and with way I feel like we should, you know, talk about it or whatever."  
"Like-like?" Keith asked with raised eyebrows.  
"Or love, whatever!" Lance exclaimed, looking back at an unimpressed Keith. "Okay! I get it!" Lance said, crossing his arms over his chest and attempting to not feel hurt. "You hate me! I just thought for a minute maybe...nevermind! You hate me and that's fine, but I really, really need you to stop pretending you don't."  
Keith opened his mouth to say something, but Lance continued, "It's fine! I get it! I've been a jerk to you since we met, but that was only because I didn't know how to deal with, with, like, my feelings or whatever!"  
Keith tilted his head. "Your...feelings?"  
"Ugh! Don't act like you don't already know! I've spent the last few days trying to get you to like me, even just a little, so it wouldn't be so painful dealing with the fact that I've been in love with you for ages, and you can't even stand to be around me!"  
Keith was gaping. It seemed to be his constant state lately.  
"You..." he muttered softly, "love me?"  
"Don't make fun of me!" Lance exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air, "I already know you don't even like me."  
"I don't know about like-liking you, Lance," Keith said quietly. Lance's face visibly contorted with pain, but Keith continued, "I am so past that. I'm, what was it that Pidge said? Extremely grossly in love with you."  
"Oh," Lance said quietly.  
"Yeah," said Keith.  
They stood staring at each other for a painful amount of time, nothing but silence filling the air. Finally Keith spoke.  
"Can I?" He motioned to the air between them.  
Lance squinted his eyes. He had no idea what that was supposed to mean.  
"You know!" Keith said, frustration building in him. He had spent way too long believing Lance was so far out of his reach, and now his was right in front of him.  
Lance just squinted his eyes further.  
"I want to kiss you!" Keith shouted.  
"Oh my god," Lance breathed out, filling the space between them, "please."  
The soft, sweet kiss only lasted a few seconds before Lance was pulling Keith down onto the stairs, his hands tanged in dark hair, pulling him desperately closer.

 

Negotiations went much quicker than anyone had expected. Lance and Keith showed up eventually. Lance was practically glowing, smiling so wide it looked like his face would split. Keith's smile was softer, and automatically disappeared into a murderous glare whenever anyone began to mention the fact that his hand was now intertwined with Lance's. Lance thought it was adorable.  
Once everything had been taken care of, it was suggested that the paladins could spend more time enjoying the planet. Shiro quickly declined, not even pretending to be polite. He strode out of the room as quickly as possible, an amused Allura following after.  
The trip back to the castle was far, far less painful than last time. Lance figured it probably had something to do with the way he followed a chattering Shiro and Allura up past a forest that suddenly seemed a lot brighter, with a content red paladin pressed into his side.


End file.
